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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: object · rock · date · board · shower · fall · content · lie

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. fall — the season
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. shower — rain
  5. rock — a stone
  6. content — happy
  7. object — an aim
  8. content — the amount
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. board — to get on
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. date — the fruit
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. fall — to drop
  16. object — to protest
  17. rock — music
  18. object — a thing
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. board — a committee
  23. fall — to drop
  24. lie — to recline

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com